‘Disappointment is part of life’

Sir
I do not normally write to newspapers but I must respond to the letter of some weeks ago from the ‘concerned parent’ who is upset that her little angel of a daughter was dropped from the Dundee High School’s hockey or netball team (she did not specify).
This is what we used to call life. If I read her letter correctly, the daughter had to attend a function and was not available to play and then was not chosen again.
Did the parent ever think that maybe one of the other girls was perhaps better at this sport than her little star?
Wouldn’t that parent also be upset if her child was dropped to accommodate the empty vessel making the most noise?
Disappointment is what life is about. It is not the event which causes it but the way in which we handle disappointment. Parents should take the lead and teach their children that disappointment is part of life and to handle it with the correct disposition rather than throw their toys around.
To chuck in the racist bit is what happens every day in South Africa and is an easy crutch when you have used up all the other excuses. Really – this is sad.
Brian C